Writing, teaching and consulting for a safe, compassionate internet. Explaining risks and opportunities of digital so people can make better choices for themselves and for the wellbeing of others.
digital exploitation
How harmful does something need to be for people to stop using it? How much do you yourself need to benefit to choose to ignore the harm done to others? When I left Facebook some years ago I emphasised how it was the (very late) acknowledgement of harm done to
digital guidance
"You need to register to keep reading. It’s still free to read – this is not a paywall" I'm growing tired of this wording. Yes, it is a paywall - the only difference is the type of currency you are paying with. If it wasn'
World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21 in recognition of the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome.
AI
Humanity will never again get back the time spent on reading posts entirely made up by language models, much of it with fabulated content that is just not based in any fact or reason. Time spent consuming concocted content will amount to hundreds of thousands of centuries of human time
digital ethics
It's never more easy to get scammed than during an ongoing hype. It's March 2023 and we're in the middle of one. Rarely have I seen so many people embrace a brand new experimental solution with so little questioning. Right now, it's
digital lifestyle
In a race towards the post-reality era, TikTok are leading the way. Image filters are now at a stage where they trigger visceral emotions and have a very real impact on psychological wellbeing. They have effects on self-esteem, self-image and confidence. More than that, they provide a glimpse of a
The same celebrated AI tools that save time for one group of people will make things harder and prompt plenty of headaches for others. Among other things, the tools will force us to rethink how literary works are published. We are facing an avalanche of books written by machines, and
podcast
I started my first podcast in the spring of 2007, not long before the first iPhone was released to the world. Back then the origin of the word podcast was more obvious, as dedicated producers and consumers of course listened on Apple's groundbreaking mp3 player, the iPod. After
Carefully with Per Axbom
"But what is it you really work with, Per?" I get this question from time to time in the workplace. Over the years it has, contrary to my expectations, become harder to answer. Not because I do not know, but because it is not readily summarised in an
Carefully with Per Axbom
Digital tools, smart devices, AI and virtual worlds are celebrated for the problems they solve, while the problems they create are concealed or glossed over. My name is Per Axbom and I’m a Swedish communication theorist born in Liberia. My international upbringing, my early 80s computer enthusiasm, aligned with
digital guidance
There are parts of my design work I want to work even more with. The parts that appear small but make a huge difference. The parts that contribute to new knowledge, inspire change, and allow people and organisations to move forward with more confidence. I can help you visualise, teach
fediverse
While I've written several guides and posts on Mastodon and the fediverse, the first step of joining is always the biggest obstacle: Choosing an instance to join. Seeing a demand for it, I put together this brief overview of 10 instances. You will often hear that there are